"rapdor" wrote in message
...
Any advice or comments on what I should buy to set myself up with an
all-purpose quarantine tank/breeding tank to compliment my 75 US gallon
freshwater community (all small fish) tropical tank would be much
appreciated. For example:

1 Is just a cheap air-pump driven box filter suitable or should it
be a
hang-on

Either will do. I dislike rattling airpumps, but if that's what you
have, it will work fine. A small powerfilter might be less trouble. An
internal canister is tidy (in use, storage or for cleaning), nothing is
hanging out the tank except a power cord and they are easy to prime with
bacteria. Something like a Fluval 1 or 2 (does anyone else make little
internal canisters?).

2 What size (my other tank is 75 US gallons, community tank with
small
freshwater tropicals)

Between 10 & 20g from your description of fish.

3 What about lighting/tank hood

Lighting is basically only for inspection and for them to establish a
sleep cycle. Indirect light from a window and a shop light on a cord
will do the trick. An incandescent light hood on a timer will work fine
too. You still need a complete cover (to stop jumpers).

4 What else do I need to consider, bearing in mind that I want it to
be
as multi-functional as possible, ie., I only want to own my large tank,
and
this one other small tank for the various contingencies that arise

Skip the gravel (bare bottom is easier to maintain and then there is less
to clean for contagions). Use a heater for stable temperatures. Keep it
away from foot traffic (very bad for new, sick and breeding fish). My
iso tanks are usually in basement corners. As a breeding tank, you want
better access to it (3 sides viewable). That's all I can think of
off-hand. hth

NetMax

Thanks folks